The present invention is related in general to the field of semiconductor devices and more specifically to integrated circuit (IC) devices having a thermally enhanced package that is suitable for through hole mounting.
It is well known that IC packages used for through hole mounting applications include a single inline package (SIP) and a dual inline package (DIP). Many SIP and DIP IC packages may be limited in their capability to dissipate heat. It has been a common practice to add a thermally conductive metal plate to the SIP or DIP to dissipate the heat. The metal plate in the form of a heat sink, a heat slug, or a heat spreader is added to dissipate heat away from the heat source such as the IC to a heat sink to maintain thermal stability. FIG. 1 illustrates a view in perspective of a traditional SIP IC package 100 having a heat slug 110 that is capable of being attached to a heat sink (show shown), according to prior art. The traditional SIP IC package 100 includes a plurality of conductive leads 120 that are capable of being through hole mounted.
However, for manufacturing certain cost sensitive electronic equipment that utilizes through hole mounting technology, the traditional tools and methods for fabricating a SIP IC package having a metal plate to dissipate the heat may be inadequate to meet desired cost targets.